Van Houten, Gordon Jay, age 77, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, October 3, after fighting a long and courageous battle with cancer. Gord was deeply loved by his family and will be greatly missed by his wife of 57 years, Jean (Werkema), and his four children and their spouses—Kristi and Bruce Albin, Dennis and Marcy Van Houten, Julie and Steven Molewyk, and Susan and Nick Delauter. He was a loving grandpa to 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild and looked forward to the birth of another very soon. He will be fondly remembered by his brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, Carol Werkema and David and April Werkema, as well as many nieces and nephews. He also opened his arms to welcome the families of Natalie Santos, Josiah, Hannah, Eli and Violet Albin (deceased) into the family. Gord was preceded in death by his parents, William and Lucille Van Houten, and two baby sisters, Marybeth and Lois Sue. He was a longtime member of Grand Rapids First where he served in many capacities over the years. He was known for his kindness, smile, and sense of humor. He always looked for someone who needed encouragement and was ready with a word, a hug, or his famous white hankies that wiped many tears. Whether at church or on the jobsite, he was an encourager to the lonely, the fatherless, the widow, and the hurting.
Gord was in the construction industry for over 50 years and supervised the building of everything from single-family homes to student housing, apartments, and senior housing projects. His favorite projects were the ones he was able to help build in third-world countries during the many missions trips in which he participated.
Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Monday, October 9, 2023 at Cook Memorial Chapel, 4235 Prairie St. SW, Grandville, MI. The celebration of life service will be held Tuesday, October 10, at Grand Rapids First’s Life Center, 2222 44th St. SW, Wyoming, MI. The service will be preceded by visitation beginning at 10 a.m. followed by the service at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to World Mission, 4200 Alpine Ave. NW, Comstock Park, MI 49321, for African well projects. The family welcomes memories and messages in their guest book online at www.cookcaresgrandville.com.
"Whoever believes in me will never die." -Jesus
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